Lucy Hurst-Brown FRSA
Managing Director

Since graduating, Lucy has spent over 30 years in the Health and Social Care sectors.  This has taken her to roles within the NHS, Social Services and a number of Not for Profit organisations in both inner city and rural areas.  For the past 17 years she worked as a Chief Executive, leading 2 different but significant charities providing support to children and adults with learning disabilities and autism in London and Southern England.  In 2005, Lucy was appointed CEO of Brandon Trust.  In addition, for many years she was the Vice Chair, Director and Trustee of the VODG (Voluntary Organisations Disability Group), a National Umbrella Body providing expertise and support to disability charities and lobbying Government regarding key policy.

Lucy’s career has given her significant experience of, and insight into, both the Statutory and Private sectors operating at all levels from front line services to Senior Management and Board level.  The business of Health and Social Care is complex; successful delivery requires meeting the often competing needs of multiple stakeholders, effectively managing a large workforce and responding to growing demand and expectations in a fast changing world using stretched resources.  It has been a challenge that she has lived with and loved!

Lucy set up Blue Giraffe Vision in 2017 because she wanted to continue with this challenge in a different way.  She has seen all too often the same problems faced and the same responses made which have frequently failed to resolve them, or to put it in Einstein’s words, “if you always do what you have always done you will always get what you have always got!” She believes that new solutions exist to old problems.  Moreover, new ways of doing things are the very life blood to organisations/businesses operating in what today is recognised as being a complex world and in many circumstances with a very uncertain future. Finding new ways of seeing things enables the start of this process.

As an experienced leader, CEO and qualified coach, Lucy has led and gained significant expertise in a wide variety of areas including:

  • Developing and implementing strategy
  • Governance and working with Non-Executive Directors and Trustees
  • Leadership and management
  • Managing change
  • People management including staff training, leadership development and coaching
  • Business development including mergers and acquisitions
  • Communications (internal and external) including public speaking

Lucy aims to bring this expertise to organisations/businesses that want some fresh insight or some additional capacity in relation to their strategic, operational or leadership challenges.

Words people use when describing Lucy:  Inspirational, visionary, focused, an excellent communicator and speaker, great at capturing the best from people, passionate, clear thinking, able to distil the essence of a complex problem and articulate it clearly, always positive and committed to progress. Taking people with her through change.

 
Sarah Willson
Creative Director

Sarah’s career has taken her into a variety of roles in the Private and Not for Profit sectors.  Much of this time has been spent within what could broadly be classified as creative industries.  She has particular experience in:

  • PR, Marketing, Communications and Events Management : Sarah started her career working for a major international firm of architects and designers.  She has taken the skills gained from this role into many of her subsequent posts.
  • Business Management : Sarah has managed several architectural practices, a design agency and a specialist health charity (caring for overseas aid workers and volunteers) undertaking a wide scope of responsibilities associated with management, HR and finance.
  • Photography : Sarah is a qualified Photographer and has undertaken a broad range of commissions both in the UK and overseas.

Sarah has a passion for wildlife, wild places, conservation and community development. This has led to a variety of opportunities with NGO’s and charities which have found her living and working in some exciting and challenging environments.  In 1990 she had the opportunity to produce and script a photo-film in South Africa for a development charity seeking to end Apartheid.

Sarah has an exceptional eye for detail and never gives up on any project until the end result is perfect.  She is a people person and enables just about anyone to feel the centre of attention and at ease.

In addition to contributing her photographic experience, Sarah will be working behind the scenes dealing with many of the business practicalities of Blue Giraffe Vision.

Words people use when describing Sarah: kind, courageous, loyal, tenacious, energetic, adventurous, tidy, mischievous, talkative, funny and organised.